An unemployed man who was part of an Internet 'scam' that involved money transfers to Russian bank accounts has been jailed.

Kevin Fuller, 50, of Prospect View, Northallerton, was involved in the transfer of £29,070 from the accounts of Internet bankers, Teesside Crown Court heard.

Although Fuller was not shown to have transferred the money from the accounts himself, the amounts had ended up in his bank accounts and were then electronically transferred by him to several accounts in Russia, the court heard.

The court was told that Fuller received a ten per cent fee for the money transferred.

The father-of-two had been found guilty at trial of six charges of money laundering and Judge Peter Fox sentenced him to 15 months in jail.

David Hall, prosecuting, said: "He was involved in a course of conduct whereby six Internet money transfers were made from accounts of victims to accounts held by him."

The court heard that amounts of cash had been taken from three victims' bank accounts in Middlesbrough, Wiltshire and Surrey.

The cash had been transferred through Western Union to Russian accounts by Fuller, the court heard.

James Kemp, defending, said that Fuller had not tried to hide his identity and had provided his own passport and other identification when he registered with Western Union.

He told the court Fuller was a man of good character with 22 years in the Army and as a reservist.

Mr Kemp said: "Perhaps it was the lure of this money after falling on hard times that led him to undertake a somewhat blinkered view."

Judge Fox said: "In my judgment you remain less than frank about this matter.

"I accept that you must have been tempted by others.

"This is a large scam and you have been drawn into it, doubtless because of your unemployment, but it must have been abundantly plain to you from the outset that this was dishonest money."